The Professors Teaching Diversity Don't Look Very Diverse

Imagine walking into a Marriott lobby in New York. You'll see guests from dozens of countries, staff speaking multiple languages, and a carefully curated atmosphere of global hospitality. Now imagine the classroom where future hotel managers learn about this diverse industry—and finding that 74% of their professors are white, with white men alone representing 43.5% of all faculty.

That's exactly what new research has uncovered across America's top hospitality programs. The people teaching diversity and cultural sensitivity in one of the world's most international industries look remarkably similar to each other.

The Numbers Don't Add Up

A comprehensive analysis of 862 faculty members across 57 leading U.S. hospitality programs reveals a troubling disconnect. While Black Americans represent 14.4% of the U.S. population, they account for just 3.7% of hospitality professors—a four-fold underrepresentation.

The picture shifts dramatically when looking at Asian faculty, who make up 22.5% of professors, significantly higher than their share of the general population. Interestingly, Asian women slightly outnumber Asian men in these academic roles.

Researchers deliberately used only publicly available information—university websites, LinkedIn profiles, and faculty directories—to mirror how students actually perceive representation when browsing programs or sitting in classrooms.

When Industry Outpaces Academia

Here's where it gets particularly ironic. Major hospitality companies are pouring billions into diversity initiatives. Hyatt has committed to doubling its number of women and people of color in leadership roles. IHG runs extensive unconscious bias training programs. These companies understand that their success depends on reflecting their diverse customer base.

Yet the academic programs feeding talent into these companies haven't kept pace. While corporate boardrooms are slowly diversifying, university lecture halls remain largely unchanged.

This matters because hospitality education isn't just about spreadsheets and operations—it's about understanding human behavior across cultures, managing diverse teams, and creating inclusive experiences. When students consistently see only one type of person in positions of academic authority, what message does that send?

The Research That Doesn't Get Done

Perhaps more concerning than the representation gap is what it means for scholarship. When faculty from underrepresented backgrounds are missing, certain research questions simply don't get asked.

Studies on racialized guest experiences? Workplace bias in hotels? Barriers to advancement for minority employees? These topics often require lived experience or cultural insight that homogeneous faculty groups may lack.

One researcher noted that students report stronger academic confidence and higher retention rates when they see professors who share their racial or ethnic identity. In hospitality programs, which emphasize empathy and cultural understanding, this connection becomes even more critical.

What the Study Couldn't Capture

The research has limitations worth acknowledging. It focused on research-intensive universities, potentially excluding historically Black colleges and teaching-focused institutions that might have more diverse faculty. The methodology also relied on visual identification, which can't fully capture multiethnic or complex identities.

But these limitations don't diminish the core finding: there's a significant mismatch between the industry's diverse workforce and the academic programs preparing its future leaders.

The Ripple Effect

This isn't just an academic problem—it's an industry problem. When hospitality programs fail to reflect the diversity they teach about, they may be inadvertently perpetuating the very barriers that companies are working to break down.

Students from underrepresented backgrounds might feel less welcome in these programs, potentially steering away from hospitality careers. Meanwhile, all students—regardless of background—miss out on diverse perspectives that could make them more effective leaders in an increasingly global industry.